Tip 176) Is the customer always right?

Following on from Friday’s tip about when a customer is not always right, I'd thought I'd talk about when they ARE right.

In a nutshell, a customer is always right in THEIR mind. When a customer complains, they believe they have a valid point. Whether YOU think they do is not only a different matter, it's completely irrelevant to the customer.

Often, complaining customers just want to be heard. If you go back to them with the "Actually Mrs Customer, you are wrong and let me tell you why…" approach, you are likely to annoy them even further. 

And, you’ll possibly lose a customer who will more than likely tell all her friends and family (and even the world if she hits social media!), how poor your business, your products and your services are.

​So, accept that the customer thinks they are right and use the FEEL, FELT, FOUND approach:

"I understand how you feel Mrs Customer, another customer felt the same at first, but what they found was..."

or 
​
"I know how you feel. I'm sure I would feel the same in your shoes. What most customers find is... So, let's see what we can do to fix it."

This is a much softer way. You are acknowledging that they are annoyed, allaying their fears and showing how you can help them. 

Try it next time someone complains. You'll be surprised how well it works!

Upping your customer service skills.

Jo x